Rob Prince's Blog, page 6

The Story of the Very Mean Shepherd by B.B. Wolf

Once upon a time there was a mean shepherd. Very mean. He wanted me to starve. Seriously, he refused to allow me get any tasty sheep from the flock he was tending. I tried. Believe me, I tried. When I thought he wasn’t looking, I hopped through the bushes, about to grab a yummy piece of mutton…then, “Whack!” He hit me right over the head with that long stick of his. He calls the stick a crook. He’s the crook. I should file assault charges against the guy. 

There was another time when he was bringing the herd in from a pasture, and one of the sheep got away. He didn’t realize it. I did. I saw the whole thing. The dumb sheep wandered off from the rest of the group, not paying attention to its surroundings at all. The mindless sheep was totally lost. I waited and waited. Not wanting to be detected by that overly aggressive shepherd, I knew if I just bided my time, I’d have a tasty dinner. Lamb chops are a delight if seasoned properly, but I digress. There were 100 sheep. Surely that annoying sheepherder wouldn’t notice one missing ewe. 

I can hear him counting, “97, 98, 99… where’s 100?  Number 100 is missing.”

He noticed. No joke. Then like a fool, he went out looking for that lousy directionally challenged sheep. Of course, I was in hiding ready to nab the lost wanderer. Never expecting that the bully with a crook would leave 99 protected sheep for the one unprotected sheep. Who would do that? He did. Wouldn’t you know it, he found that lamb too; tossed her over his shoulders and carried her back to the pen. Ugh. I hate that shepherd.

About the pen, you’ll never guess where that narcoleptic shepherd “sleeps.” In the door way. How can you sleep in a door way? You can’t. But that’s where he plants himself. Every night. All night. He’s like the gate to the pen. You can’t get to the sheep unless you get by him and his crook. He must sleep with one eye open, because I can never get pass that guy. I’m pretty sure, he is wise to me and my schemes.

But I’ve got a new plan. It’s fool proof. I’m going to get a sheep costume. I saw them in the Halloween store in town. I’ll dress up like a sheep. Wear the sheep’s clothing, if you will. How hard can it be to pretend to be a dumb sheep? It can’t be that baaaaaaad. (Sorry for the dad joke. My pups hate my puns). But I’ll fool that shepherd in my costume; get in the pasture and then take any sheep I want. By the time, that dumb sheepman realizes I’m not a sheep, I’ll be long gone with my dinner. Talk about fast food, I’ll be hoofing it out of there quicker than you can say, “Mary had a little lamb.” My name ain’t Mary, but, with a little luck, I’ll have a lamb. This plan is pure genius. Slurp! 

Here’s the deal: My goal in life is to get as many sheep as possible. Trick ‘em. Steal ‘em. Trap ‘em. Fool ‘em. Grab ‘em. I don’t care how I get them, I just want to get them. I’m relentless. I will keep trying until I get one too. The ones close to the shepherd, the ones practically glued to the guy, are nearly impossible to nab. But some of those dumb sheep will get their eyes off the shepherd and start playing too close to the boundaries the shepherd has set up. Those ones will surely step over the line and when they do, I’ll be there waiting. Licking my chops. 

You can be sure of this, I’ll keep trying or my name isn’t “Big Bad Wolf.”

Moral of the story: The safest place is next to the Shepherd (capital “S”). 

That ain’t holiness

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” -Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride.

The theological circles I run in are known for their adherence to holiness. We take serious God’s call to “Be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 19:2 and 1 Peter 1:16). Sadly, it seems some in my tribe are confused as to what “holiness” entails. 

Allow me to offer a few tips (just “a few,” my list is not exhaustive) on holiness. Hopefully this clears up some of the muddle…

If your version of holiness is….

more about you than Jesus, that ain’t holiness.unkind, unforgiving, unjoyful, unhumble that ain’t holiness.unloving toward neighbors and enemies that ain’t holiness.uncaring toward the poor and needy, that ain’t holiness.focused on outward persona rather than inward purity, that ain’t holiness.childish not child-like, that ain’t holiness.bullying others on-line or in person, that ain’t holiness.comparable to the Pharisees, that ain’t holiness.hypocritical or hyper-critical, that ain’t holiness.cliquish more than a welcoming, that ain’t holiness.snooty and gossipy, that ain’t holiness.attention seeking more than Jesus seeking, that ain’t holiness.envious, greedy, lustful or prideful, that ain’t holiness.rude, harsh and self-seeking, that ain’t holiness.bombastic and belligerent, that ain’t holiness.record keeping of wrongs, that ain’t holiness.condemning the sin in others while covering up one’s sinful habits, that ain’t holiness.pushing people out of the kingdom rather than inviting folks in, that ain’t holiness.lacking in generosity, that ain’t holiness.critical of social media mudslinging, then promptly slinging mud on social media, that ain’t holiness.full of “gotcha questions” meant to trap and belittle, that ain’t holiness.championing “truth” while telling half-truths and outright lies, that ain’t holiness. depicted by who you hate rather than who you love, that ain’t holiness.fueling heated arguments rather than godly conversations, that ain’t holiness.blind to the giant log in one’s own eye, yet judging the speck in someone else’s eye, that ain’t holiness.more about legalism than charity, liberty and grace, that ain’t holiness.dismissing the above list and getting defensive about the areas that reflect your own poor attitudes and behaviors, that ain’t holiness either.Anything other than being like Jesus, quite simply…  it ain’t holiness. Period. 

Dear English majors, I know, “ain’t” isn’t a word. I also know the “holiness” that some folks proport to be “protecting” or “promoting” isn’t holiness. 

It’s something, but it’s not holiness. 

The Best Residence for the Aging Church of the Nazarene

The Church of the Nazarene (CotN) was founded on October 13, 1908. There are only three people currently living in the world who are older than the CotN: Maria Branyas born March 4, 1907;  Tomiko Itooka born May 23, 1908; and Inah Lucas  born June 8, 1908. That’s it. Just three people. Presumably none were at Pilot Point, Texas 116 years ago.

Obviously, denominations don’t age like people. Unlike people, many denominations are dead– they just don’t know it. Which got me thinking about the supercentenarian, Church of the Nazarene. If the CotN were an elderly person, what kind of care would be required for the old gal? 

The options for the elderly are:

Hospice care is mostly for people with less than a year to live. While there are those who exaggerate the demise of the CotN, no one thinks she will be dead in a year. Hospice is not the option. 

Palliative care is a treatment plan where all know the patient is not getting better, but health care providers try to make the person comfortable. It’s holding the hand and saying kind words until they pass away. It might be sooner, but it’s probably later. Is the Board of General Superintendents (BGS) simply holding the hand of a sick and probably dying denomination; offering little hope, but whispering nice (overly rosy) things in her ear? At times, it might seem like it, but there is still strong life bubbling in various places.

Memory care is provided to the patient who has forgotten who they are. Like in palliative care, the plan is to make the person comfortable–  not letting them hurt themselves or others. Some might say that the CotN has forgotten who she is and the principles on which she once stood. They conclude that  people are hurt because of her misremembering. But unlike the horrible corridors of a memory care unit, many still know, love and desire to live into the CotN’s history. Regaining those early principles is the challenge, but its history hasn’t been forgotten. 

Does anyone think the CotN is ready for Independent living? Many argue she is more divided than ever (see Jesus’ comments of feeble houses in times of division in Matthew 12). She isn’t as strong as she used to be. She needs help. Independent living seems out of the question at this contentious point.

That leaves Assisted Living as the last and best option. The church is not dead, but she needs support. Factionist’s witch hunts on the right and tantrum throwers on the left have threatened to end the via media that has characterized the church from its inception. Each far side’s critics claim the church is drifting toward the other’s extreme. They vocalize its doom on social media and try to pull her to their side. A tug-of-war has ensued for the CotN’s heart and soul. She needs assistance not a mortician. 

More than ever the CotN needs leadership. The original BGS member, Phineas F Bresee, famously said (not original to him): In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity. Current BGS members, charged with giving vision and direction, must remind the church of Bresee’s words. Shout it, if necessary. Like a traffic cop on a busy intersection point us back to the via media. Silence is death. It’s time to be heard. The rest of us must then follow in assisting the church to the via media. It’s moving (or staying) in the center of the narrow road, away from the extremists on either side. 

A healthy denominational assisted living is located on the via media and it’s where the CotN best resides. I’m still hopeful that’s will be our address.

Edited to read: This is NOT a new or a negative concept. The Church has always required ASSISTED LIVING. It’s the Lamb and His Bride; a marriage made in heaven, where God’s Holy people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do Christ’s bidding for the Father’s glory. 

Edited to also add: I wrote on the Church of the Nazarene’s need for the middle road in 2021. You can read it here: https://wordpress.com/post/robprinceblog.com/1958

What Can Be Learned from the Closure of Eastern Nazarene College?

When the news broke that Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) was closing last week, it felt like a friend had died. Not a friend that you see every day, or even once in a while, but a friend nonetheless. Hearing that the doors were closing for good brought a deep sense of sadness over me. The news hit me hard for someone with no real connection to the school other than my “Nazarene-nerdy-ness.”

I have friends who graduated from ENC and who have been on the faculty and staff there. I heard stories of God’s faithfulness and provision through the life of ENC. I had only been on the campus of Eastern Nazarene College one time. It was back a few years, before Covid, we went on the Sunday morning to the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene on the campus of ENC. We walked around and saw the buildings. I was surprised on how close the campus was to the ocean. I thought it had such potential. Now it’s closed. 

When a loved one that I haven’t seen in a while passes, I think, “I knew she was sick, just not that sick. I wish I had known…” Could anything have been done to help ENC if we comprehended her dire circumstances? Maybe. Maybe not. I wish we had known…

Sometimes when attending the funeral of older relatives, I peruse the room and see kinfolk that I’ve only seen at funerals, the holidays or a random reunion. When greeting the distant cousins at the wake, I think, “Who will be next?  The matriarch has died. Who will be the next family member eulogized?” ENC’s closing made me think about the other Nazarene institutions in the same manner. Are others on life support? Is ENC’s passing a harbinger of more trouble in the Church of the Nazarene or is it an anomaly?  

I want to think ENC’s demise was caused by a dwindling student and Nazarene population in the Northeast. It wasn’t helped by an over saturated higher education system in Boston and the plethora of options from which prospective New England students might choose. I’m sure there are many more factors than the ones spouted off by some of my conspiracy-first-truth-later brothers and sisters on social media. Still, was ENC’s demise the first of many deaths or the unexpected and unfortunate passing in an otherwise healthy organization?

I fear it’s the former, not the latter. If it is the former, what can we do to stop the bleeding? How can we better communicate the urgency of those in dire straights without causing my aforementioned Chicken-Little-like, brothers and sisters (these social-media-dilettantes are on all sides of the theological/political spectrums, by the way) from further miscommunicating ill-informed opinions (I’m not casting stones. I’ve been there. I’ve probably had my share of ill-informed opinions too). 

How can we help the other institutions stay afloat and not hurt them, that’s the point?

Maybe now is simply a time to mourn the passing of a dear friend, but sometime soon we must examine our reality and make the necessary adjustments so more funerals don’t follow. 

Should the Church of the Nazarene and the Global Methodist Church merge?

The United Methodist (UM) church is in the process of splitting. The largest number who have left the UM are those who have formed the Global Methodist (GM) Church. The main “dividing line” between the UM and GM is that the GM holds to a traditional view of marriage, like the Church of the Nazarene (CotN). In fact, many statements made about the new Global Methodist church could end with the phrase “like the Church of the Nazarene.” So the question becomes, if the Global Methodists and the Nazarenes are so much alike, should these two groups seek to merge into one bigger, stronger denomination?

The Global Methodists are still forming as not every church disaffiliating with the UM has done so. As such, the membership numbers are a little difficult to pin down. There are approximately, 4500+ GM churches and 4,417 CotN churches in the United States. When the dust has settled the CotN might not be able to claim to the be the “largest holiness church.” The GM may have those bragging rights (in a sanctified manner, of course) in the United States, at least.

The GM has some groups from outside the United States, the CotN is in 164 world areas. Globally, the CotN is positioned to welcome the GM churches and give structure, guidance to a  truly a worldwide mission effort.  

The educational institutions were a sticking point in the some of the merger discussions with the Wesleyan Church/Church of the Nazarene in years past. The close proximity between colleges raised questions of viability and sustainability. That would not be an issue with a GM/CotN merger. The GM has a few “recommended” colleges but none that are specifically “GM” universities. Again, the CotN has eight universities in the United States and Canada and over 50 educational institutions around the world. Instantly the GM would have colleges of its own and education points around the world.

Historically, the Church of the Nazarene is a church of mergers. Part of its DNA has been to find like-minded holiness people and come together for greater affectedness in reaching the world for Jesus. A GM/CotN merger would provide the greatest application of this mindset in its history. Instantly, the new church would have influence and a greater awareness across the United States and world.

The new church, a Nazarene/Methodist Church, would provide a freshness to the CotN that has been lacking in these challenging times. A Pilot-Point-like excitement could develop with new brothers and sisters coming together. With more voting delegates, it would eliminate the “good old boy” network of familiarity and nepotism that at times has plagued the CotN. Leaders from both groups, would rise to the top forging a fresh glory for a global outreach. It would provide more preaching points and greater opportunity for evangelism. A united holiness effort could infuse a Holy Spirit empowered energy and be exactly what is needed today.

Certainly there are obstacles to a Global Methodist/Nazarene merger. But what better time to discuss such a move than before the Global Methodists church is fully established and when the Church of the Nazarene could use a renewed vision. This might be the best time to form a new, united holiness church called to make Christ-like  disciples in the nations. 

Is it too late for Revival in the Church of the Nazarene (USA/Canada)?

There is no question on the necessity of the church to be revived. A quick look at the numbers reveal that in-person attendance is plummeting. Churches are closing. New churches are not being started. Young people are not being called to pastoral ministries. The clergy along with the people in the pews are aging. The writing is on the wall. It’s only a matter of time before the funeral processional begins. Something needs to happen (read: REVIVAL) or the Church of the Nazarene will die!* But is it too late for her to turn around?

Luke writes of the revival following Pentecost. It can happen. The church was adding people every day (Acts 2:47). In a short period of time, the number of believing men grew to 5,000 (Acts 4:4). In spite of opposition from within (Ananias and Sapphira) and pressure on the outside, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (Acts 5:14). Revival was happening. It was the work of the Holy Spirit and the believers were in “one heart and one mind” (Acts 4:32). 

The Holy Spirit is still at work, but would anyone declare the Church of the Nazarene to be in “one heart and mind”? The church seems to be more divided than ever. There’s too much “us vs. them.” There are too many labels. There are too many sub-groups and factions. Social media loudly clamors for attention on all sides. There are too many separate entities fighting for their corner of the table. The U.S.S. Nazarene is sinking, does it matter who is sitting at the captain’s table?

It’s never too late for the Holy Spirit to right the ship. But it sure seems like the window of revival is closing for the Church of the Nazarene. There are those who say, “Let her die.” I’m not one of them. She can be revived. There is resurrection hope. 

The answer seems simple to write, but hard to obtain. Quit fighting. Quit dividing. Quit weaponizing social media. Quit demonizing those with a slightly different theological bent. Quit. Just quit. This is not a call that one side or the other needs to quit, every side must quit the chatter. Jesus highly priestly prayer calls all believers to be unified (see John 17:20-21). Can’t the church live into that prayer? Can the church be on one heart and mind?

Is it too late for revival? It’s never too late. The church willing to humbly settle its differences in an age of division and angst? Are its members willing to pray along with Jesus to be one? That’s the question. 

If it is too late for a revived Church of the Nazarene, don’t mourn too long. God will rise up new groups like in the late 1800’s when the Church of the Nazarene or the Holiness Church of Christ or the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America started. These new groups will do what the current version of the Church of the Nazarene is not always doing. A united people who will proclaim holiness of heart and life and offer good news to the least of these. God isn’t impressed with brand names. If the current version of Church of the Nazarene isn’t cutting it, God will raise up a church who will. 

Is it too late? No. But it is getting late…

*Obviously, there are exceptions. There are good churches doing good things. I am super biased but I think Flint Central Church is such an exception.

Imagining if my dad had not been Born Again

Like George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart’s character in It’s a Wonderful Life, so much would be different if my dad had not been BORN AGAIN.

When my dad stumbled into a tiny Nazarene church 64 years ago and subsequently met Jesus, he was a high school dropout, auto-working, alcoholic and with three kids and a wife who wanted a divorce.

How would the world be different had my dad not met Jesus? Where do I begin?

My parents would have been divorced.I never would have been born.Karla would be married probably to some rich tycoon that she met when working in the airlines (she might have been richer, but not happier).No Alex. No Ben. No Conrad.None of the people that I have met and helped as a pastor would be at the same place. Jesus would have sent someone to those folks (He is faithful) but it would have been different.Would my sisters have been as successful as they were? Probably not. They certainly wouldn’t have met their spouses. Pam met Lloyd in church. Beth met Jon at Olivet.My brother, most certainly, would not have become a preacher; not met his wife, Teri, they met at Olivet too; and not have helped all the people he was able to aid throughout his ministry and life.Same is true for all of my parents’ grandkids from my siblings (all went to Olivet).Probably my dad would have died young because of his alcoholism—like his parents and grandparents and great grandparents before him.My mom, with just a high school diploma and three little kids, would have had a difficult life as a single mom. She too didn’t know Jesus at the time, who knows what kind of career or job she might have been able to get.We all know the tragedies of the unhealthy mix of poverty, fatherless homes, and alcoholism. My family would probably have landed square in the middle of that whole statistical mess.

It’s hard to imagine all that would be different had my dad not made the best decision of his life to follow Jesus after visiting that little Nazarene church.

As we recognize dads this weekend, I can’t help but appreciate the Holy Spirit’s prevenient grace extended to my dad that led him to a church on a Sunday night 64 years ago. I’m thankful that he looked at his life and knew changes needed to be made. I’m so glad for the prayer he mumbled out by his bedside that night (Remember: the power of prayer is in the One who hears the prayer, not the one who prays the prayer). I’m so incredibly thankful that Jesus saved my dad! Without that happening so many lives would be different today.

Dads, your decisions make a difference. They affect more than you. Like my dad so long ago, make godly, faithful choices. You will not regret it! Neither will your kids!

Happy Father’s Day!

The Toughest Job in the Church of the Nazarene is NOT General Superintendent

The toughest job in the Church of the Nazarene is NOT General Superintendent. It’s not regional director, district superintendent or pastoring a large church. By far the most difficult job is university (or college… I’m looking at you in Quincy, MA) president. The difficulty lies in the fact that so many groups think they have a right to tell the president how to do the job. The list is long: faculty, students, staff, board of trustees, parents, general superintendents, the accrediting associations, the government, athletic governing bodies, local church pastors, fringe Nazarene groups like The Holiness Partnership and Nazarene’s for Peace, and a multitude of groups from outside the Church of the Nazarene. Everybody believes they have a right to the university president’s ear.

These vested voices are coupled with the burden of educating a student body who endured the pandemic, deals with social media pressures and life in these turbulent times. Ask any college (not just Nazarene) and they will tell you that their mental health services are being used at an all time high. Students feel the weight and pressure of college life like never before. Along with such realities come the societal stress aftermath (drugs, alcohol, depression, suicide) that offer the opposite of help. The college presidents’ job is much more complicated than simply educating young adults.  

Moreover the colleges are becoming less and less “Nazarene.” One school’s Nazarene student body population is 7%. It’s hard to maintain Nazarene identity when less and less students know anything about the Church of the Nazarene. (Olivet’s attempt to address this issue by offering a free four year tuition to the NYC senior class participants was well received by students and their families, not so well received by the other colleges. The “Olivet Way” was seen as pushing the other colleges out of the way). 

Of course, the other main issue (maybe the biggest issue) pressing on college presidents is money. It’s expensive to maintain a Christian university these days. There are less traditional college-age people in the population. Less students are attending college Less tuition means less money, yet inflation doesn’t stop. The pressure of keeping everything afloat is enormous. A Christianity Today article from 2023 stated that 18 Christian colleges closed since the pandemic. You can read the article here. A few more are on the brink of closing (including a Nazarene school? Who knows). The economics of a Christian university is challenging. 

Added to all of this the Church of the Nazarene is currently going through a shakeup in its university presidents. Olivet’s president began in 2021, Ambrose, Mount Vernon and Eastern installed new presidents in the past year; Point Loma is in the process of electing a new president; Northwest’s president has announced he will retire next year. MidAmerica and Trevecca both have presidents who are in their 70’s and will likely retire in the next few years. This change in leadership may not be bad. It will be different for each campus. Bringing in the right person is paramount for the school (obviously) but also for the denomination. 

All this to say, we need to be in prayer for the universities and their presidents. Christian higher education leadership is the toughest job in the Church of the Nazarene. The second toughest job is youth pastor (that’s a blog for another day).

College and Seminary President Prayer List:
Ambrose University— Rev. Dr. Bryce Ashlin-Mayo 
Eastern Nazarene College – Dr. Colleen Derr
MidAmerica Nazarene University—Dr. David Spittal
Mount Vernon Nazarene University—Dr. Carson D. Castleman
Olivet Nazarene University—Rev. Dr. Gregg Chenoweth
Northwest Nazarene University—Dr. Joel K. Pearsall
Point Loma Nazarene University– TBD
Southern Nazarene University– Dr. Keith Newman
Trevecca Nazarene University—Rev. Dr. Dan Boone
Nazarene Bible College—Rev. Dr. Scott Sherwood
Nazarene Theological Seminary—Rev. Dr. Jeren Rowell

What if Pastors (including DSs) were Compensated Equally?

Could Acts 4:32-34 be applied to the way we operate our churches today? The plural use of “churches” is intentional because this passage and the one in 2 Corinthians is often applied to a “church” (singular). But what if the verse was applied to multiple churches on an entire Nazarene district or (or if I were really radical) across denominational lines.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. (Acts 4:32-34)

The Macedonian churches were applying the activity of Acts 4 way beyond their local setting. Paul wrote how the Macedonians responded to the financial crisis of the Jerusalem church: In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people (2 Corinthians 8:2-4). 

Have you seen any churches (not those in “extreme poverty” like the Macedonians, but any church, anywhere) welling up with rich generosity, not for their own wants and desires but, for a church down the road? Have you seen them giving “beyond their ability” to give to bless another church? Have you seen any church “pleading… for the privilege” to give to another church? Raising money not so that local church could build a nicer sanctuary, but raising monies so the church down the road could keep their sanctuary doors open or provide a living wage for its pastor. 

Radical Idea Alert: What if churches across a district or region pooled their monies and every pastor was compensated equally. What if we compensated faithfulness or years of service or academic achievement. What if size didn’t matter. While we are at it, what if District Superintendents were included in the same salary pool. They were likewise compensated on years of faithful service just like every other pastor on the district. No more. No less. 

Back-to-reality Alert: Who’s kidding who? In the first century preachers were not getting paid (don’t tell Karla) and there were no church mortgages or sound systems or denominations or… well… you get the idea. We all agree there are differences between the 1st and the 21st century. But what if we shared a little more than we do? Collaborated a little better. Prayed together more often. What if churches and pastors acted more like teammates rather than competitors. What if instead of becoming territorial if another church is planted in one’s area, we rejoiced. What if some churches had food pantries and other churches in the same area distributed baby supplies or helped out with utility bills. 

What if churches shared people resources too. What if musicians or singers or masons and carpenters would freely work at churches other than their own. What if pastors in stronger churches were willing to step in and help in creative ways with struggling churches. What if church folks stopped being/thinking like the rest of the world with a “me first,” “my family first,” “my church first,” or “my country first” selfish mindset and instead had a kingdom mindset of rich generosity to all. 

Maybe the New Testament church got some things right (minus the hot mess known as “Corinth First Church”). Maybe, just maybe, if churches today were blessing others, like the church in Acts 4 or the Macedonian churches, God’s grace would powerfully be at work in all our churches. 

My Graduation Party PTSD

As the calendar turns to June, it can only mean one thing: High School Graduation Party Season. It’s a time of year that brings forth a bit of PTSD in me.

When I graduated from Garden City West High School High School (Go Tigers! West is best, East is least!!), my folks threw me a party. We had a picture board (highlighting my senior year afro which should be the reason for my PTSD, but it’s not), a trophy display (second place in the cub scout pinewood derby, among other similarly prestigious achievements) and cake (Sam’s didn’t exist then. My mom and Dunkin Hines provide the cake). It was a grand affair. But my brother, Fred, was unable to attend  because he was a poor seminary student in Kansas City at the time. 

Fred, too poor to travel, but not too poor to help me celebrate, sent a singing telegram from a guy dressed in a gorilla costume. Nothing says, “Happy Graduation” like a singing gorilla, right? Instead of just some stranger dressed as a gorilla, I thought it was my brother, Fred, in the gorilla costume. I thought Fred had lied about not coming home in an effort to surprise me on my happy day.

Now for the PTSD: At the sight of the singing gorilla, not thinking it was a stranger but Fred, I ran and jumped into the singing gorilla’s arms. Once in the gorilla’s clutches (PTSD alert), I quickly realized that the dude singing with the spicy burrito breathe was not Fred. It was a stranger. I was in his arms and like the song from that era, the one-hit-wonder Sérgio Mendes’, classic, Never Gonna Let you go; I thought the gorilla was, in fact, never gonna let me go. He kept singing and singing, all the while hugging me with a King-Kong-like grip. 

If you know me, you know, I am not much of a “hugger.” I hug Karla, that’s about it. I wish I were a hugger, I’m not. Hugs aren’t bad. They are fine signs of affection. I just can’t bring myself to doing it very often. It’s odd. It’s weird. It’s a societal faux pax. For this I blame the gorilla and his never-gonna-let-me-go grip. I’m not sure if I’m afraid of never being let go or never wanting to smell that spicy burrito breathe again. 

Here’s the good news, even though I might not be a hugger, our Heavenly Father is. Like in the prodigal son story, when the boy returns the Bible says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Our Father is waiting to embrace us. He wants us in His family. No matter where we’ve been or how far gone we are. He longs for us to be home with Him. Best of all, Paul wrote: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). In other words, our Father never lets us go (and He doesn’t have spicy burrito breathe). Praise the Lord!